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"Oh you're so precious. I haven't met anyone just turned in so long, I'd almost forgotten how many things there are to teach you.
Yes, yes. They retract a little, to be not quite so long and cumbersome. And then when you feed, when you feel the hungry and hear that heartbeat and smell the blood in them, they'll come back out so you can bite more deeply."
Yes, yes. They retract a little, to be not quite so long and cumbersome. And then when you feed, when you feel the hungry and hear that heartbeat and smell the blood in them, they'll come back out so you can bite more deeply."
It had been some time since he had stumbled through the door of the castle. Weeks, maybe, though time sort of feels like it no longer applies to him.
It had been nerve-wracking for a long time, learning from Herbert. Slowly but surely, he has learned how to start navigating this new existence, has gotten used to slinking through the halls in the dark without jumping at every shadow (only some of them).
And Herbert has been...so patient. Kind. Sweet. There's a bit of a temper in there, sure, but even with those flashes, he has still been gentler with Alfred than anyone he had known since his own mother.
That means a lot. And so, Alfred got an idea, a small way to repay him. For a couple of weeks, he disappears here and there, sneaking around, staring just a little harder at Herbert when he's around. Keeping secrets.
Until today, when he can't any more.
Tapping on Herbert's bedroom door, he struggles to contain himself, stuffing his hands behind his back to hide how much they're trembling.
"Herbert?"
It had been nerve-wracking for a long time, learning from Herbert. Slowly but surely, he has learned how to start navigating this new existence, has gotten used to slinking through the halls in the dark without jumping at every shadow (only some of them).
And Herbert has been...so patient. Kind. Sweet. There's a bit of a temper in there, sure, but even with those flashes, he has still been gentler with Alfred than anyone he had known since his own mother.
That means a lot. And so, Alfred got an idea, a small way to repay him. For a couple of weeks, he disappears here and there, sneaking around, staring just a little harder at Herbert when he's around. Keeping secrets.
Until today, when he can't any more.
Tapping on Herbert's bedroom door, he struggles to contain himself, stuffing his hands behind his back to hide how much they're trembling.
"Herbert?"
For a moment, Alfred looks a little nervous at his ignorance - the look of someone used to being chastised instead of explained to.
But he calms when Herbert just...tells him. Without calling him stupid.
"That sounds...better. H-how do I...make them go...smaller?"
But he calms when Herbert just...tells him. Without calling him stupid.
"That sounds...better. H-how do I...make them go...smaller?"
"Hey ho hey," Herbert calls back, laughing a little to himself at his own joke. It's just that Alfred had sounded so precious when he'd been lost in the snow, when Herbert had first seen him and fallen in love with him. Back when he'd begged his father to get the darling boy for him, somehow.
But he answers the door to his room and leans against the door frame, hip cocked to one side. "Always good to see you. You're settling in well, I hope?"
But he answers the door to his room and leans against the door frame, hip cocked to one side. "Always good to see you. You're settling in well, I hope?"
"I think -- concentrate on them like you would an appendage. You think about bending your finger before you bend it. So think about your fangs retracting, imagine them doing so, and in time your body will start to respond.
I have to ask you though, chéri," he adds, holding Alfred at an arm's length. "What on earth are you wearing?"
I have to ask you though, chéri," he adds, holding Alfred at an arm's length. "What on earth are you wearing?"
Okay, that's - it still jars him to think about the fact that he and the Professor had been watched, even then. But...well, that's in the past now, isn't it?
As soon as Herbert opens the door, the nerves settle in even more, eyes widening a little and his smile quivering.
"Ah - hey - yes. Still...getting the hang of it. But there's something I wanted to...ask you? Show you? In...in my room?"
He hadn't let Herbert into his new bedroom since he had been granted it - citing that he would like to clean it as a way to help calm himself down.
As soon as Herbert opens the door, the nerves settle in even more, eyes widening a little and his smile quivering.
"Ah - hey - yes. Still...getting the hang of it. But there's something I wanted to...ask you? Show you? In...in my room?"
He hadn't let Herbert into his new bedroom since he had been granted it - citing that he would like to clean it as a way to help calm himself down.
"In your room?" His eyebrows shoot up, clearly surprised, but very pleased at the prospect. He walks his fingers up Alfred's chest to squeeze his shoulder. "By all means, show me your... room."
The concept is easy enough to grasp as Herbert is explaining, he thinks - and so Alfred immediately tries, brow scrunching up as he tries very hard to focus.
He manages to get one of them to retract before he is asked the question, leaving him snaggle-toothed as he looks down at himself.
"...Uh...something I...took...at the...ball. Ssssssorry."
He manages to get one of them to retract before he is asked the question, leaving him snaggle-toothed as he looks down at himself.
"...Uh...something I...took...at the...ball. Ssssssorry."
"A-ahhhhh hhhhaaa - yyyyyes," Alfred stammers, realizing quickly the potential insinuation in the words.
"Um, I've been. Decorating," he tries to continue, starting his way down the hall.
"It was dusty when I started, but it's...nice, now? Nicer than I've had."
"Um, I've been. Decorating," he tries to continue, starting his way down the hall.
"It was dusty when I started, but it's...nice, now? Nicer than I've had."
"Darling," Herbert coos, and taps him on the chin. "You didn't have to sneak in. You were going to be my honoured guest. Before that professor of yours shooed me away so rudely."
He tuts and shakes his head. "Oh, it's true. It's a large castle, and we get guests so infrequently. I'm afraid Koukol doesn't keep up with the housework like he should. But I'm glad you've gotten it cleaned up."
Giving Alfred a beaming smile, he takes his hand as they walk towards his room. "And if there's anything at all you need for your room, I'm certain we can get it from the village."
Giving Alfred a beaming smile, he takes his hand as they walk towards his room. "And if there's anything at all you need for your room, I'm certain we can get it from the village."
"It's all right. I...I like cleaning. Taking care of things has always made me feel...useful? Accomplished. It's given me something to focus on."
He lightly squeezes Herbert's hand back as they walk - but he's definitely going to notice how hard he's trembling that way.
"There's actually been...quite a lot in storage rooms in boxes," he mumbles as they approach the door. "The Count told me I was welcome to anything not being used, so I. I've claimed a thing or two."
He lightly squeezes Herbert's hand back as they walk - but he's definitely going to notice how hard he's trembling that way.
"There's actually been...quite a lot in storage rooms in boxes," he mumbles as they approach the door. "The Count told me I was welcome to anything not being used, so I. I've claimed a thing or two."
That nets another cringe from Alfred, who is looking more than a little silly at the moment with only one long fang.
"Well, we... were sort of there to try and sneak Sarah out. And also we...sort of thought we would just be...food otherwise."
"Well, we... were sort of there to try and sneak Sarah out. And also we...sort of thought we would just be...food otherwise."
Edited 2021-11-21 19:52 (UTC)
"Well the professor, certainly. We get human blood so rarely, it's always a treat." He sighs, wistfully. "I wish I had been the one to turn you. I'm so jealous that it was Sarah. But I'm glad you came back, and I'm here with you now."
Oh, his poor trembling boy. Like a frightened kitten. Herbert will have to take extra special care of him.
"Oh yes, of course! Anything in the castle at all is yours, now that you'll be staying with us. What's ours is yours. Once you've lived for a few centuries, you tend to accumulate a lot of things."
"Oh yes, of course! Anything in the castle at all is yours, now that you'll be staying with us. What's ours is yours. Once you've lived for a few centuries, you tend to accumulate a lot of things."
Alfred swallows hard at the vivid mental image he gets of the party descending upon his mentor, the way he would scream as he was drained dry, the way he would no doubt beg for the help of his assistant-
Oh, he feels a little sick. He swallows hard, clenching his eyes shut for a moment to shake his head and try to dispel the thought.
When he opens them again, he brings his hands together to twiddle his fingers. Always so anxious.
"I sort of...if it had to happen, I...I sort of wish...it had been you. You wouldn't have...left me for dead. She did. I...."
He looks pathetic - shivering in the foyer in drenched clothes that don't belong to him, eyes welling up with heartbreak, paled skin going a little further off-color with overwhelm.
Oh, he feels a little sick. He swallows hard, clenching his eyes shut for a moment to shake his head and try to dispel the thought.
When he opens them again, he brings his hands together to twiddle his fingers. Always so anxious.
"I sort of...if it had to happen, I...I sort of wish...it had been you. You wouldn't have...left me for dead. She did. I...."
He looks pathetic - shivering in the foyer in drenched clothes that don't belong to him, eyes welling up with heartbreak, paled skin going a little further off-color with overwhelm.
"You've been so generous, and I...I appreciate it." Centuries. He's been a vampire for centuries. That's...well, there's a little more pressure over the gift now, isn't there?
Resting his free hand on the doorknob, he swallows hard, glancing to Herbert a moment before pushing the door open.
The room itself has been scrubbed and polished within an inch of its life, furniture treated with oil, bedspread immaculately mended and made. He's given himself a desk, which has stacks of papers in neat piles, and an upright piano sits in the corner, tuning supplies in a basket on top.
Over by the window, something stands covered by a sheet on an easel - another basket of paints and brushes on a small table beside it.
"Uh. Come in. It's...well, I'm still settling into it, trying to make it feel...like myself, I guess?"
Resting his free hand on the doorknob, he swallows hard, glancing to Herbert a moment before pushing the door open.
The room itself has been scrubbed and polished within an inch of its life, furniture treated with oil, bedspread immaculately mended and made. He's given himself a desk, which has stacks of papers in neat piles, and an upright piano sits in the corner, tuning supplies in a basket on top.
Over by the window, something stands covered by a sheet on an easel - another basket of paints and brushes on a small table beside it.
"Uh. Come in. It's...well, I'm still settling into it, trying to make it feel...like myself, I guess?"
Edited 2021-11-21 20:17 (UTC)
"Oh, mon chéri -- " Herbert pulls Alfred into his arms and gives him a tight hug, petting his hair. "Why don't we get you into a warm bath? It will help you relax and warm up a little."
He knows that his father loves Sarah dearly, but Herbert hates that she just left Alfred out in the cold after turning him. He's going to have to have a Talk with her.
He knows that his father loves Sarah dearly, but Herbert hates that she just left Alfred out in the cold after turning him. He's going to have to have a Talk with her.
"Oh it looks lovely, Alfred!" Herbert clasps his hands together, looking pleased with all the progress that Albert has made to liven up the room.
He notices the piano tuning equipment, as well as the painting supplies. "Oh my, are you an artiste?"
He notices the piano tuning equipment, as well as the painting supplies. "Oh my, are you an artiste?"
"Thank you," he squeaks, closing the door behind them. This was probably going to be a pretty private moment, but not for the reasons Herbert might think. "It's kept me busy."
Moving to the easel, he shrugs a little, looking bashful. "I...I play piano, violin, and guitar," he admits, unable to meet Herbert's eyes. Steeling himself.
"But like I said, I...I had something to ask you?"
He clutches the edge of the sheet on the canvas, white knuckled.
Moving to the easel, he shrugs a little, looking bashful. "I...I play piano, violin, and guitar," he admits, unable to meet Herbert's eyes. Steeling himself.
"But like I said, I...I had something to ask you?"
He clutches the edge of the sheet on the canvas, white knuckled.
Herbert gives a little gasp, pressing a hand to his chest and looking suitably impressed. "We'll have to find you a violin and a guitar, then." Honestly, he'd get anything Alfred asked for. He deserves to be happy, and have fun, and do what he wants to do.
"Of course, you can ask me absolutely anything. Anytime."
"Of course, you can ask me absolutely anything. Anytime."
He rocks Alfred gently, back and forth, rubbing his back. "All right. We'll use my room for now, until we find one for you. There are plenty of rooms for you, you'll have your own space. But for now, you're welcome to my room. What's mine is yours, hmm?"
Okay. Here goes.
Biting his lip, he pulls the sheet - revealing the painting beneath. It's a portrait, but not the stuffy sort of thing dispassionately hung over a mantle as a vanity piece...no, the subject is smiling, eyes sparkling, full of life and full of love. Pale skin painted carefully with makeup, white hair drawn back and cascading into dark locks, rendered with the most careful hand.
It's Herbert. Painted by someone who had paid so, so much attention to everything about him.
Smiling nervously, Alfred turns around, his voice timid.
"...Could you...sit for me? So I can finish the details on this?"
Biting his lip, he pulls the sheet - revealing the painting beneath. It's a portrait, but not the stuffy sort of thing dispassionately hung over a mantle as a vanity piece...no, the subject is smiling, eyes sparkling, full of life and full of love. Pale skin painted carefully with makeup, white hair drawn back and cascading into dark locks, rendered with the most careful hand.
It's Herbert. Painted by someone who had paid so, so much attention to everything about him.
Smiling nervously, Alfred turns around, his voice timid.
"...Could you...sit for me? So I can finish the details on this?"
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